


in hopes of tomorrow

by sleepoverwork



Series: Winterhawk Bingo to go-go [4]
Category: Falcon & Winter Soldier (2020), Hawkeye - Freefall, Marvel 616
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Deaf Clint Barton, Gen, POV Clint Barton, Protective Bucky Barnes, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-02-23 09:27:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23942635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepoverwork/pseuds/sleepoverwork
Summary: Barnes shows up without an invitation to Clint's new safehouse that he shouldn't even know about. Weirder yet, he brings a cat and asks Clint to watch over her for him.WinterHawk Bingo Fill - Alpine - N5
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Clint Barton
Series: Winterhawk Bingo to go-go [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718809
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29
Collections: Winterhawk Bingo





	in hopes of tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> This is a canon divergent of Falcon & Winter Soldier that mixes some Hawkeye - Freefall vibes in it. Spoilers if you haven't read them. Basically Bucky gets targeted and while following clues meets up with Sam. They drop Alpine (who is adorably chilling in Bucky's jacket) off at Misty Knights (Sam's gf and cop superhero badass extraordinaire). Alpine and Misty do not get along, but Bucky and Sam get their ass kicked by a kid and then end up going on a sort of suicide mission to find said kid and run into Zemo/Hydra. So I thought, Clint is a soft dude who would take care of a furry friend in need. Plus Lucky's a pretty cool dog (best doggo).

“No.” Clint shut the door on reflex, even before the word could leave his mouth. Belatedly, he locks it for good measure. Really, that’s what he got for answering the door without even checking the peephole first. 

Another set of short knocks rang out in the silence and Lucky whined from the other room at the noise.

“You and me both,” Clint muttered before rubbing his eyes.

“Barton,” Barnes called out from the other side sounding less annoyed than someone who just got a door slammed in their face would be. He sounded, strangely resigned. Clint thought about just taking out his hearing aids and crawling back into bed.

There was another knock, heavier than the others that sounded suspiciously like a thud and a sigh that tugged Clint’s heartstrings. Letting out his own sigh, Clint unlocked the door and opened it slightly to see Barnes straighten up from having his forehead resting against the door.

Barnes was standing there, duffel bag over one shoulder, hands in his nice brown leather jacket that was opened enough for a peek of a soft cream top inside. He was wearing some washed out black cargo pants, and what everyone dubbed his Winter Soldiering boots. Well, if Clint, Tony, and Sam were everyone. Steve mostly frowned and sighed loudly when they did.

A furry head popped it’s head out from Barnes’ jacket, derailing Clint from his thoughts. He blinked at the white cat and the cat blinked back at him before Barnes came through the doorway swinging the duffel off his metal shoulder and then squatted so smoothly that the cat wasn’t even disturbed from its perch.

“Thanks,” Barnes said, not even bothering to explain why he was knocking on Clint’s door in the middle of the goddamn night when, last Clint checked, they parted as not-so-unfriendly accomplices, but certainly in no way on friendly terms. Coming to someone’s new place uninvited at fuck’o-clock, much less Clint’s place he never even would think to tell Barnes about or even had a chance to see the guy to mention didn’t scream not-so-unfriendly accomplices. Barnes was still talking though, not once looking or acknowledging Clint’s presence besides the fact the man was talking out loud. “–figured she’d be more comfortable with you.”

He replayed the words in his head, trying to decipher what Barnes was uncharacteristically droning on about and how exactly that thought had popped into his froyo brain.

“Why did you need to be here at–” Clint squinted at the clock for dramatic effect even if his audience wasn’t paying him any attention, “three in the morning to do this?” Barnes looked up at him scowling and Clint felt his anger claw it’s way up from the fog of his sleepy mind.

“Zemo is hunting me,” Barnes threw out as if he was stating there was going to be rain tomorrow and just plops down on the floor criss-cross applesauce. “And Sam,” he added after a beat. Clint clamped down on his jaw to stop himself from interrupting. Distantly, he recognized the danger of Hydra actively moving instead of their usual underhand strategies.

“There’s a new kid in the game. Expert hand-to-hand, took us both down in seconds.” Barnes clenched his jaw, eyes going unfocused for a second before snapping right back to staring defiantly at Clint. “The first option for Alpine didn’t work out. I–” Barnes stopped to swallow, eyes never leaving Clint’s.

“I need her to be safe, cared for.”

Well that was… not anything remotely to what Clint had been expecting. Barnes was here, asking for his help. Clint has no doubts the Winter Soldier could have snuck himself and his weird jacket cat both in, left the cat, left a note if he was really trying for considerate, but instead had knocked like he was a real boy and they were real friends. 

Said cat had since made her way out of Barnes’ jacket and across the kitchen to Lucky’s water bowl. Clint turned just in time to see her sniff at the water in a way that reads as haughty, but apparently decides to drink anyway. Lucky was watching her from the bed, tail wagging but making no move to get up and greet her.

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Barnes repeated carefully, voice barely louder than the everpresent static of Clint’s hearing aids.

“One condition though,” Clint stated, turning around in time to catch the end of Barnes’ expression snapping to neutral and a nod.

“You better come get your fucking cat when you’re done.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you're still here, I thank you and hope you and your loved ones are well.


End file.
